Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
An acquaintance has a couple critters in Boone and Crockett, a huge 6X6 elk head adorns his living room wall, and he's fond of pursuing rabbits near his WVA home using a Model 42 Winchester, a pump action 410. He states that no big critter hunting is quite as much fun as following a couple beagles and bringing in meat by the lb, not the hundredweight. I agree...
He has a point,the only people I know that didn't enjoy small game hunting much once they've tried it were miserable folk,lacking in personality and spirit.We don't have to travel leagues nor part with mucho dinero to hunt smaller quarry. Chances are there's good small game hunting available to everyone here within a short drive.
Despite the plethora of good rimfires out there, this is shotgun country. A 22 LR carries for miles, whereas shot pellets drop within 300 yards maximum range, thus helping us be safe. And it's far easier and more humane to tag a bird, rabbit, squirrel or other target of opportunity with a cloud of shot.
And practically any shotgun will suffice if its weight is comfortable. No 11 lb 10 gauge mags need apply. A shotgun here will get carried much and shot little, so a violation of The Rule Of 96 erring on the light side is no major sin. This is a place where those old single shots shine. Carry like a walking stick, smite like a minor deity.
I started off hunting with a 16 gauge H&R single shot, it would still be an excellent choice today for this. So would practically any other shotgun here, except my 9 lb 870 TB and the "Serious" 870s with their extended mags and major weight. A small game shotgun should run under 7 lbs, and 6 1/2 might be a better weight to shoot for. We won't be firing lots of shells here. Any we do fire, the kick will not be noted unless we use shells way too powerful for the mission.
Unfortunately, the shotguns widely regarded in my youth as perfect for this, the long barreled tightly choked repeaters, run a little heavy for this mission.
I'd be tempted to put up with the weight and tote along an old friend anyway, but it's not my choice.
Except for wild Ringnecks, an oz of shot will drop anything we run into.Maybe 7/8 oz is better yet,there's a lot of upland guns in 20 gauge nigh perfect for this.
As surprising as it may be, a load of 6s delivered into the head and neck of a woodchuck at 15 yards will definitely "Reduce it to possession", as the game laws say. Same for raccoons, muskrats, etc.
I've used chokes for small game running from None to Too Darned Tight and find that like most things in life, a position in the middle beats the extremes all to heck. On a single or a repeater, IC, LM or Modified seem to be best for general use, though a tight Full is great for a squirrel specific mission. On a double, something from Skeet/Modified to LM/IM might be the best combination.
As for ammunition, a pocketful of 6s and 7 1/2s suffices. In a double, a load of 7 1/2s in the open barrel backed up by 6s in the tighter is an all around setup, though varying this for a specific situation is urged. Shotguns are versatile, let's use that versatility.
An old trick, even older than I,is to make the first shot in a repeater smaller shot,like 7 1/2s, then back it with 6s or 5s for the longer, going away shots.
And along with your weapon and ammo, bring matches or a lighter, a small bottle of potable water and some salt. A squirrel or bird taken, cleaned, and then cooked over a fire of oak twigs right in the field or woods gets eaten with more gusto than can be imagined.
Now imagine....
It's a brilliant Fall day, just cool enough to be comfortable while moving. Ahead of you is an area where a cut corn field meets a hardwood forest. You can almost hear acorns dropping off old white oaks that were there when Washington was President.Bushytailed grey squirrels chatter away. There's a greenbriar jungle just yards wide between the field and woods, known to us for rabbit dense brush piles and chuck burrows. A pair of dove pass over a little out of range and you hear a Ringneck rooster cackle, challenging his rivals and announcing his readiness to the hens at the same time. You lift a shotgun you've had so long it feels like a body part to load it and smile. You've got all afternoon, a pocketful of shells, and a great need to decompress. You'll come back with a lighter step, a better attitude and a little weight in the back of the vest that wasn't there when you started. Life is good....
He has a point,the only people I know that didn't enjoy small game hunting much once they've tried it were miserable folk,lacking in personality and spirit.We don't have to travel leagues nor part with mucho dinero to hunt smaller quarry. Chances are there's good small game hunting available to everyone here within a short drive.
Despite the plethora of good rimfires out there, this is shotgun country. A 22 LR carries for miles, whereas shot pellets drop within 300 yards maximum range, thus helping us be safe. And it's far easier and more humane to tag a bird, rabbit, squirrel or other target of opportunity with a cloud of shot.
And practically any shotgun will suffice if its weight is comfortable. No 11 lb 10 gauge mags need apply. A shotgun here will get carried much and shot little, so a violation of The Rule Of 96 erring on the light side is no major sin. This is a place where those old single shots shine. Carry like a walking stick, smite like a minor deity.
I started off hunting with a 16 gauge H&R single shot, it would still be an excellent choice today for this. So would practically any other shotgun here, except my 9 lb 870 TB and the "Serious" 870s with their extended mags and major weight. A small game shotgun should run under 7 lbs, and 6 1/2 might be a better weight to shoot for. We won't be firing lots of shells here. Any we do fire, the kick will not be noted unless we use shells way too powerful for the mission.
Unfortunately, the shotguns widely regarded in my youth as perfect for this, the long barreled tightly choked repeaters, run a little heavy for this mission.
I'd be tempted to put up with the weight and tote along an old friend anyway, but it's not my choice.
Except for wild Ringnecks, an oz of shot will drop anything we run into.Maybe 7/8 oz is better yet,there's a lot of upland guns in 20 gauge nigh perfect for this.
As surprising as it may be, a load of 6s delivered into the head and neck of a woodchuck at 15 yards will definitely "Reduce it to possession", as the game laws say. Same for raccoons, muskrats, etc.
I've used chokes for small game running from None to Too Darned Tight and find that like most things in life, a position in the middle beats the extremes all to heck. On a single or a repeater, IC, LM or Modified seem to be best for general use, though a tight Full is great for a squirrel specific mission. On a double, something from Skeet/Modified to LM/IM might be the best combination.
As for ammunition, a pocketful of 6s and 7 1/2s suffices. In a double, a load of 7 1/2s in the open barrel backed up by 6s in the tighter is an all around setup, though varying this for a specific situation is urged. Shotguns are versatile, let's use that versatility.
An old trick, even older than I,is to make the first shot in a repeater smaller shot,like 7 1/2s, then back it with 6s or 5s for the longer, going away shots.
And along with your weapon and ammo, bring matches or a lighter, a small bottle of potable water and some salt. A squirrel or bird taken, cleaned, and then cooked over a fire of oak twigs right in the field or woods gets eaten with more gusto than can be imagined.
Now imagine....
It's a brilliant Fall day, just cool enough to be comfortable while moving. Ahead of you is an area where a cut corn field meets a hardwood forest. You can almost hear acorns dropping off old white oaks that were there when Washington was President.Bushytailed grey squirrels chatter away. There's a greenbriar jungle just yards wide between the field and woods, known to us for rabbit dense brush piles and chuck burrows. A pair of dove pass over a little out of range and you hear a Ringneck rooster cackle, challenging his rivals and announcing his readiness to the hens at the same time. You lift a shotgun you've had so long it feels like a body part to load it and smile. You've got all afternoon, a pocketful of shells, and a great need to decompress. You'll come back with a lighter step, a better attitude and a little weight in the back of the vest that wasn't there when you started. Life is good....
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